I’ve been wrapping up our annual trip back home to the Pacific Northwest of British Columbia. This year’s adventure was full of lazy days at the beach, boisterous family reunions with cousins I haven’t seen in close to twenty years, peaceful explorations through lush, moss-draped forest groves, mountain hikes with incredible vistas, refreshing lake swims… […]
Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides
20
Aug
Aug
After living with kid(s) under your watchful eye for so many years, sending them off to college can be worrisome. Will they make nutritious food choices? Will they get the sleep they need to thrive both in the classroom and in life? And will they pay attention to signals from their bodies if the answer […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Antipasto-Stuffed Squash Blossoms:
Maximize Your Garden Harvest with a Crispy, Grain-Free Appetizer
14
Aug
Aug
I can’t let the summer go by without sharing at least one post celebrating the season’s most prolific crop: the equally loved and loathed zucchini. Mid-August may be a little later in the season than I usually publish my annual zucchini post, but now that everyone is surely becoming sick of all that darned summer […]
13
Aug
Aug
One of the most impactful things you can do for your health is cook at home. But let’s be clear— I’m not talking about nuking a freezer meal in your microwave or warming up that can of pre-fabbed whatever on your stovetop. Optimal health is found in foods that you need to eat, refrigerate, or […]
08
Aug
Aug
Ask Chef Phyllis: It’s come to my attention after some reader emails that most of you think the slow cooker is a strictly wintertime vessel. After all, nothing sounds better on those cold winter mornings than coming home to chili con carne or a thick, hearty split pea soup. But to say that the slow […]
07
Aug
Aug
I remember the first time I had clafoutis (KLA-foo-tee). I must have been around thirteen, and the bakery where I worked had just received a shipment of plump, deep, burgundy cherries from the Okanagan, in British Columbia. My mentor Pascal immediately exclaimed that I simply had to try clafoutis, so he got to work whipping […]
06
Aug
Aug
August is Family Fun Month! The perfect opportunity to spend time with your family and (hopefully) remember how much you enjoy each other’s company. There isn’t much information about the history of this celebration, but I have to assume it has to do with two things: the hustle and bustle of the upcoming school year […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Thai Style Minced Pork Salad with Spicy Mayo:
Taking Street Food to a New Level
31
Jul
Jul
I’ve often waxed poetic about my affection for Thai food. The harmonic combination of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy is like no other cuisine. I also admire the Thai love affair with street food: full of bright fresh flavors, crisp veggies, and quickly grilled or seared meats, and easy to eat with your hands. My […]
30
Jul
Jul
The list of benefits from eating at least some fermented foods on a daily basis is long and impressive. From more efficient digestion to a more robust immune system, your health will only improve by adding some fermented foods into your diet. In his book Wild Fermentation, Sandor Ellix Katz explains that the process of […]
25
Jul
Jul
Ask Chef Phyllis: Summer is nearly here, and I love cold, creamy, mayonnaise-based potato and macaroni salads when we go to the beach or on a picnic. But everyone says that it’s unsafe to keep them in a cooler for too long. Is this true? Do you have ideas that will make me feel better […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Grilled Fajita Bowls with Chipotle Cream and Guacamole:
Mexican-Inspired Meals for Summer
24
Jul
Jul
I’ve been eating the majority of my meals out of shallow bowls for quite some time now, even though everyone thinks I’m weird for it. I also eat almost everything with chopsticks (even weirder, I know), but in my opinion bowls accommodate chopsticks more than a plate. Besides their practical uses, I like bowls for […]
23
Jul
Jul
In many parts of the world, meditation has been around for a really, really, really long time. But in our neck of the woods, the practice has achieved darling status only recently. And now that it has, the people I come across tend to run in one of two circles: the “I do-ers” and the […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Seed-Crust Tourtière:
A Mile-High Makeover Inspired by a French-Canadian Classic
17
Jul
Jul
I grew up in Canada, and I’ve been interested in food as far back as I can remember, so I was quite surprised that I didn’t discover tourtière—possibly the most quintessentially Canadian food outside of poutine (fries, gravy, and cheese curds…if you’ve never tried it, you must!)—until my later years. Tourtière is a hearty meat […]
16
Jul
Jul
I am a routine kind of gal. They make me feel stable, at ease, and organized. Some people find them boring and restrictive, but I’ve always found great comfort in them. When my routines are interrupted (from here on out known as “routinus interruptus”), I can adjust for a while, but then I crave them […]
What’s Cooking at SRP?
Homemade Cinnamon-Vanilla Granola with Coconut:
Taking Cereal to a Whole New Level
10
Jul
Jul
I’m not a big cereal fan, but I used to be. Back in my younger (less knowledgeable) years, I indulged in my fair share. And though it wasn’t optimal, cereal was one of the only things I had an appetite for when I was pregnant. Luckily, my mother was pretty strict about the quality of […]
09
Jul
Jul
It’s finally here, my friends! July is National Picnic Month. When was the last time you grabbed a big ol’ blanket, packed some grub in that basket, and headed to the great outdoors? I’m gonna take a stab in the dark here and say it’s probably been too long. Am I right? Not real keen […]
05
Jul
Jul
I used to be super intimidated by using fresh herbs in the kitchen. Something about their big green bunchiness seemed complicated to me. So I’m not surprised when I meet people with similar fears. But now that I’m a convert to fresh herbs myself, I challenge you to face your fears this month and start […]
03
Jul
Jul
Even though the bright beauty and flavor of citrus brightens up the bleakest months of winter, when citrus is at its peak, I’ve always felt that these lively, juicy fruits are much better-suited as a welcome respite from the heat of the summer months. Lemons are a constant in our house, with their neutral flavor […]
25
Jun
Jun
Boys and girls are different in more than just the obvious ways. We discussed some need-to-know facts about girls health last month, so let’s consider a few compelling health facts about the boys out there. Be aware that when it comes to diagnoses, these three familiar conditions are more commonly diagnosed in boys. Boys are […]
19
Jun
Jun
Bread is the Staff of Life; so the saying goes. It’s no secret that since the discovery of agriculture, bread has been a staple food in nations all over the world. From baguettes slathered with butter in France, to tortillas in Central America, Roti in South Asia, and dense rye breads in Scandinavian regions, each […]